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Palo Alto, Calif., October 6, 2015: AnitaB.org, a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of women in computing, announces that Janet George, fellow and chief data scientist at SanDisk, and Isis Anchalee, engineer at OneLogin and the driving force behind the trending hashtag #ILookLikeAnEngineer, will discuss the importance of diversity in technology during a plenary session at this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC). The plenary session will also feature Miral Kotb, a software engineer and professional dancer who has merged her two passions to create iLuminate, a performance based on the fusion of technology and dance.

“Promoting diversity in technology is imperative to driving world-class innovation, but without visible role models, the idea of diversity can’t progress past being another ‘buzzword,'” said Telle Whitney, CEO of AnitaB.org. “Janet, Isis and Miral are taking action everyday to make diversity a visible reality in the tech industry. We’re thrilled to have them speak at GHC and share their experiences and incredible talent.”

Janet George is a fellow and chief data scientist for Big Data and cognitive computing at SanDisk, a global leader in flash storage solutions. At SanDisk, Janet builds global core competencies, data platform, advanced analytics, and pattern matching with semiconductor manufacturing data from the ground up. Prior to this role, she held executive positions at Apple, Yahoo!, eBay, and Accenture Technology Labs.

“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work at some of the leading technology companies in the industry,” said Janet George. “I’ve also witnessed the need for more strong women role models and I’m delighted to share my perspective about the importance of diversity in technology with the Grace Hopper Celebration audience.”

Isis Anchalee is a platform engineer at OneLogin, a San Francisco-based identity and access management company that allows users to securely access cloud applications from any device. In early August 2015, Isis drew international attention for her #ILookLikeAnEngineer Twitter campaign, which became a rallying cry for the importance of diversity in tech. Isis is also an advisory board member for Women Who Code.

“I was not anticipating becoming the face for the push for more diversity in tech hiring when I was featured in a recruiting ad for OneLogin this summer,” Isis Anchalee said. “But I am excited to seize this opportunity and speak out on behalf of all women engineers who have faced the same struggles I have in a male-dominated industry. I’m thrilled to speak at GHC 2015 and support women and other minorities change the ratio in tech.”

Miral Kotb is the director, producer, choreographer and playwright for iLuminate. A native of Houston, Texas, she pursued degrees in dance and computer science simultaneously at Barnard College and Columbia University, respectively. In 2009, she launched iLuminate, which combines technology and dance to create a mesmerizing light show on stage.

“The Grace Hopper Conference is all about showcasing the amazing things that are possible when technology and our personal passions intersect,” said Miral Kotb. “I’m honored to present iLuminate, which combines my personal passions of dance and coding, at GHC.”

About the Grace Hopper Celebration

The 2015 Grace Hopper celebration, the largest gathering of women in computing in the world, expects 12,000 attendees this year, a 50 percent increase from the previous year. The conference, held in Houston, Texas, takes place October 14 – 16 2015. This year’s conference features leading technical speakers, career development sessions, awards, a poster session, a hackathon and the industry’s largest career fair for women in computing. Download the free GHC 2015 mobile app, made possible by Qualcomm, today on the Apple iTunes Store and the Google Play Store. The app provides up-to-the-minute information about conference sessions, speaker lineups and other key GHC details.

Gold Academic sponsors include: Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Tech College of Computing, Harvey Mudd College, Montana State University, New York University, Purdue University, Rice University, Stanford University Department of Computer Science, Texas A&M University Department of Computer Science, University of California – Berkeley, University of California – Los Angeles, University of California – San Diego Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Houston Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and USC.

About AnitaB.org

AnitaB.org for Women and Technology (ABI) connects, inspires and guides women in computing and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. Founded in 1997 by computer scientist Anita Borg, our reach extends to more than 65 countries. We believe technology innovation powers the global economy, and that women are crucial to building technology the world needs. AnitaB.org is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. For more information, visit anitab.org